Curb Appeal: Balance home with neighbour's colour

The cream-coloured home has darker neighbours. The new, darker window frames can be the inspiration for the exterior wall and some new shutters.

Photograph by: Handout photo / Suzanne Rowe
, The Gazette

I had a liking for the soft demeanour of this west-end home but an introduction of slightly darker elements would improve the balance with the neighbour's stronger red brick wall colour.

I chose a warmer tone of sand to replace the pinkish cream painted surface. On the same palette from the harmonized colour swatches, the next deeper shade was going to be the choice for new shutters as well as the mouldings near the roof and the porch area.

In fact all this same family of colours will derive from the even darker tint chosen for the new windows that the resident intends to purchase.

I, and the owner's friends who thought they looked skimypy, wasn't a fan of the colonial-style posts. Heftier square columns and railings made more sense and have better proportions. The tiny triangular shape on top of the otherwise gorgeous overhang felt out of place. The wavy separation also had to go. A thick made-to-measure trellis as a psychological divider will be a subtle reminder of the criss-cross pattern of the future windows.

The blue recycling container on the floor of porch shouldn't be in the front. Contrary to the plastic bin, a couple of tall iron urns decorated with white annuals and cascading greenery along with the burst of oxblood paint on the red door would add presence to the focal point that is the porch.

The dark grey and red paving blocks of the driveway and path will have to be straightened and levelled again.

All the lawn will be removed and the earth worked and amended with garden soil and compost.

The existing weeping red bush on stem will migrate into the other central bed near the smaller connecting walkway.

In this same area, three randomly placed ornamental grasses will accompany the small tree. These mustn't be planted too close to the little fellow so that their respective foliage don't mix together.

The multiple crown and form of the big cedar no longer had the desirable conical shape it once had. With a natural rope, all top branches could be attached closer together. A pyramidal shape will be encouraged by a yearly moderate trimming around the end of June.

The contrasting colour association of the red pink Berberis, the green and white persevering leaves of the Euonymus as well as the yellow green foliage of the Filipendula perennials are a great support to the generous flowering of the Becky daisies and the orange spring blooms of the rhododendron. In winter, this one's year-round leaves alter to red. For a constant Becky show, the cutting of the wittered daisies is recommended.

Because of their similar earthy tones, the rusty peach and brownish red foliage of the Peach Flambé Heucheras will sympathize with the brick wall colours.

To soften the surface on the right, three vigorous Juniperus will be planted in a line and centred in front of the neighbour's wall. These will require a well-drained soil for them to develop into their expected one-metre width and four-metre height at maturity. For a nicer display and so that these evergreens don't overlap when fully grown, leave a wider interval than the required planting directions.

Now that the front property is without turf, exquisite ground cover will gladly blanket the newly exposed soil.

Everlasting deep green, shiny leaves turning purplered in the fall, tiny clusters of white, bell-like gems in summer, red fruit throughout winter and salt tolerance are only a few of Vaccinium vitisidaea's strong points.

Most of the new vegetation introductions are also salt indulgent.

The rhododendron, the Leucanthemum and the Filipendulas as well as the owner's Thuja and ornamental tree will need some protection.

Vegetation (from left to right)

- Thuja (owner's evergreen)

- Ornamental tree (owner's, weeping, red leaves)

- Pennisetum alopecuroides (3 to 5, ornamental grasses)

- Buxus Green Velvet (per-sistent shrub, stairs)

- Leucanthemum x super-bum Becky (perennials, daisies)

- Heuchera Peach Flambé (3 to 5 perennials)

- Berberis Rose Glow (shrub, burgundy to pink leaves)

- Filipendula ulmaria Aur-ea (1 to 3 perennials, yellow green)

- Euonymus fort. Emerald Gaiety (variegated, persistent)

- Rhododendron Light series (shrub, persistent, orange)

- Juniperus chin. Fairview (3 pyr. evergreens, brick wall)

- Vaccinium vitis-idaea (per-sistent ground cover, white)

HOUSEWARMING

Most homes can use a little help when it comes to warming up their curb appeal. If you'd like some inexpensive ideas on how to improve the appearance of your home, send a clear photo of your house with your commentary to: Suzanne Rowe, Designer, suro@bell.net. Because of the volume of email she receives, it is not possible for her to individually reply to each correspondent.

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